There's a Curse Between Us
by Mandy Hartzler
Summary: Complete! After Emma's sacrifice, Hook grabs the dagger, and uses it for his own purposes. Regina is scared that his actions are only pushing Emma even further down the road of no return. Swan Queen.
1. It's Over Now

**AN: This idea came to me while I was listening to _What Have You Done_ by Within Temptation. It pretty much sums up this story, and maybe you should listen to it before reading ;)**

 **Captain Swan is dissolved in chapter 1, and Outlaw Queen is sort of too (Robin will be around for a while longer, but nothing romantic, I promise); Hook is around until he's... not.**

 **This was originally put up on AO3, but I thought I'd share it here too; so you guys get to be the lucky ones that don't have to wait for updates!**

* * *

After was a blur. Regina couldn't say exactly what had happened. One minute, Emma had been standing in the middle of the road, darkness swirling all around her, siphoning into her through the dagger. The next, she was gone, and the dagger was on the ground. Still, Regina couldn't move, was hardly breathing. She was having trouble processing what had just happened, which was why she didn't see Hook step forward and collect the dagger from where it lay in the middle of the road.

She didn't see or hear Snow and David arguing with the pirate over who should keep the dagger safe. All she could see, imprinted in the back of her mind, were Emma's eyes just before she had shot her hand up and taken all the darkness away.

Had she been crying? For Regina? That made no sense.

Robin letting go of her — finally — was what snapped her back to reality. She blinked around, eyeing the fighting trio in front of her, before looking at Robin.

"Are you okay?" he asked her. She nodded dumbly.

"What's all the commotion about?" she asked, gesturing towards the three people arguing, their voices getting louder and louder.

Robin looked at her for a moment, not sure what to say. Finally, he shrugged and sighed. If she said she was fine, then he wasn't going to push. "Killian says-"

But just then, Snow's voice rose to a screech. "I DON'T CARE WHAT SHE TOLD YOU, SHE IS MY DAUGHTER, AND YOU WILL NOT TAKE HER AWAY FROM ME AGAIN!"

Regina sighed. Although she had to give that point to her former nemesis, she did seem to have the worst luck in keeping her children near her. Regina half expected Snow to permanently attach Neal's bassinet to herself from here on out.

Hook's response wasn't as shrill, but was still loud enough that it carried to where Regina still stood with Robin. "I am her True Love, I should be entrusted with her fate!"

Regina watched in morbid fascination as Snow cocked her head to the side, her fist clenching into a fist.

"Idiots," she muttered under her breath.

Beside her, Robin turned to look at her, surprised. "How are they idiots for wanting to protect someone they love?"

She shook her head. "Neither of them is equipped to deal with… the Dark One, when she comes calling for what is hers."

"And how do you know she will?"

She didn't look at him, her gaze on the dagger clutched tightly in Hook's hand. "It's Emma. I know her."

"So who should look after it then?"

"Me, of course," she said impatiently, annoyed that Robin didn't understand this. It was her fault Emma was like this now, she had promised Snow and herself and Emma that she wouldn't let the blonde lose herself to the darkness, and now look what had happened. "I need to keep it in the house, under a protection spell."

"What? Regina, you can't be serious!"

She turned to him then, eyes flashing dangerously. "And why not?"

Her true love took a wary step backwards at the look in her eyes. "It's too dangerous. If you're right, and she comes looking for the dagger, then you can't keep it at home. She could hurt Roland!"

She gave a derisive laugh. "Despite the fact that you and Roland have been living there, it is still my house, Robin. If I think it best to take the dagger there, that is exactly what I will do."

"I won't let you endanger my son over some misguided attempt to prove yourself."

Her eyes flashed again, and Robin took another step backward. This time, Regina matched him, stepping forward, a grin spreading over her lips. "Prove myself? To whom? I was under the impression that I didn't have to prove myself to anyone."

"No, of course not, I just meant -"

"I know what you meant." Her voice had dipped in tone, and any trace of a smile was gone from her face. "I think you and Roland should move out," she told him, attention already shifting back to the three people a few feet away.

David was looking at her, a worried expression on his face, and she nodded. He relaxed, and touched Snow's back, whispering something to her. Snow's head snapped away from Hook to look at Regina, and she smiled. Regina chuckled darkly. Who knew one day she would be reassuring Snow White that everything would be okay? And without saying a word. Had their… friendship — she shuddered at the word — really evolved so much over the years?

"Regina, you don't mean that."

The voice next to her held an astounding resemblance to a whine, and she sighed again, having completely forgotten Robin was still there.

"I really do, Robin. I don't appreciate you thinking you can control what I do, much less in my own house. If that displeases you, then you are welcome to vacate the premises." She turned to look at him briefly. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have an obnoxious pirate to deal with."

But just as she turned away from Robin's incredulous face — really, had he always been this pedantic? — she heard Snow yell, and Hook's voice rise once again in a roar that stopped the world from spinning:

"Dark One, I summon thee!"

She whipped around, any thoughts of Robin Hood instantly leaving her mind, as she turned to look at the stupid pirate.

"What are you doing? You idiot!"

Hook looked up at her, a smirk on his lips. "I'm taking what is mine, Your Majesty."

She shook her head in disbelief just as dark red smoke swirled and Emma appeared next to him. It seemed like the whole world held its' breath as all five adults stared at the blonde in fascination.

Physically, she hadn't changed. She was still wearing the white sweater, blue jeans and ankle boots she had before. But it was her eyes that made Snow gasp and take a step back; they were completely void of emotion.

She turned her head slowly, zeroing in on Hook holding the dagger, and a lazy smile spread over her lips. Regina held her breath at the feral nature of the expression, her body moving forward before she was even aware of it.

"You summoned me."

It wasn't a question, but apparently Hook felt the need to answer her anyway. "Aye."

Emma eyed him for a long time. "Well?" she finally snapped.

He flinched. "Swan. What you said to me, before…"

"Emma Swan is dead," the blonde proclaimed loudly, talking over Hook's nervous babbling. "You'd do well to disregard anything she told you."

"Emma."

The whisper was almost inaudible, and for a second, Regina wondered where it had come from, before she realised she had spoken. She was so intent on the blonde, she hadn't even registered the thought to open her mouth.

Emma turned slowly, head cocked to the side, gaze assessing. "Regina," she purred, smiling. This smile was different from the one she had given Hook before; it was less like a cat regarding a mouse, and more…

"You're not the villain anymore, are you?" she kept on smiling, but it didn't reach her eyes, and Regina bit her cheek to keep tears from spilling.

"What have you done, you stupid Sheriff?"

"Oh yeah. Guess I should give you my notice," the blonde quipped, and this time her smile went a little deeper, and crinkled her eyes. It was gone quickly, though, as Hook, still gripping the dagger, snapped impatiently.

"Swan, never mind her, what about me? You're my happy ending."

The glint in Emma's eyes as she turned back to Hook ever so slowly, was enough for Regina to take another step forward, unsure of what she planned on doing, but certain that if the pirate kept on antagonising the blonde like this, things would not go well.

"Well that's just too bad for you, isn't it?"

"What?"

The Dark One shrugged, nonchalant. "I never said you were my happy ending, you know."

Snow gasped, and Charming hugged her, reassuring. Emma's eyes didn't even flicker towards her parents.

"It's funny, isn't it, Killian, how you were always depending on me for everything. Put all the weight on my shoulders. I'm the one keeping you good, I'm your happy ending, I'm the Saviour, all the responsibility in our relationship always fell on me. Well, guess what, I'm done. I'm done pretending I care enough to stick around."

Hook's jaw was hanging open, but he shook his head, anger in his eyes. "Well, you can't leave," he told her, waving the dagger around in front of her.

Regina felt her stomach bottom out at the look in his eyes; a look she recognised all too well from her husband, and she opened her mouth. Probably to want Emma, or maybe to yell at Hook. Maybe she should just tackle him to the ground and wrestle the dagger from the odious man. She really did not relish the idea of letting him hold on to it for another second.

Instead, Emma sneered. "Well, then, at least make looking at your face worth my time and give me something useful to do."

Hook's jaw clenched. "Very well. If this is how it will be, Swan…"

"Hook," Regina cautioned, her tone making it obvious he should tread carefully.

He completely ignored her. "Take me to Rumplestiltskin," he told Emma. Regina had a split second to feel terror, before Emma sighed, and they both disappeared in another cloud of red smoke.


	2. What Have You Done Now

_Take me to Rumplestiltskin_.

She should have known, should've poofed herself to Gold the second the words were out of the pirate's mouth. Instead, she had found herself fighting with Robin in the middle of the road, in front of Snow White and bloody Prince Charming. The obstinate thief still seemed to think he had some say over her actions and, desperate as she was to get to Emma and stop Hook from hurting the woman, she would not let the daft man go by another second without disabusing him of that ridiculous notion. When Robin had finally seemed to grasp the concept that, soulmate or not, he would never control her, the brunette turned on her heel and marched to Gold's shop, fuming at the entire world. How her life had become something out of a soap opera, she'd never know.

Still, it really shouldn't have surprised her as much as it did to enter Gold's shop a good half hour later, a tearful Snow White, irate Robin Hood and wary Prince Charming trailing in behind her, and be hit by the stench of death.

Should have known, because Emma was the Dark One now, and this was what the Dark One did. And really it was no surprise that Hook would have chosen his first act as the controller of the Dark One to be to enact vengeance on his old enemy. The irony that he had killed Gold for what the man had done as the Dark One by using the Dark One wasn't lost on Regina, but she was in no mood to appreciate it fully.

Hook had abused the power of the dagger, and what was worse, had propelled Emma down a dark path. She snorted in disgust. And he proclaimed to love the ex-Saviour.

She stood over Gold's and Belle's disfigured bodies, staring sightlessly at the carnage. She was vaguely aware that Robin had made a hasty exit out of the pawnshop, and Snow and Charming were huddled in a corner, faces white as sheets, looking everywhere but at the bodies.

A dark part of Regina had looked over the bodies and appreciated the art of the kills. She hadn't been merciful, judging by the blood splatters and the position of the bodies, and she knew, deep down, that even though Hook had ordered the kill, the Dark One had enjoyed herself with the task.

* * *

She had looked everywhere, had even ventured to the docks, to eye the Jolly Roger warily, but hadn't found Emma anywhere.

At least her search hadn't proved entirely useless. Hook had been asleep in his ship, snoring like a bullhorn, a bottle of rum still clutched tightly in his hand. The stupid man had placed the dagger under his pillow. Regina snorted in disgust. As if that would stop Emma from taking it and slaughtering him like cattle. She was half tempted to let her, but instead she took the dagger from the inebriated pirate, and left.

On the dock, she paused, surveying the ship thoughtfully. She might not want Hook dead, but having him out of the way would be best for everyone involved. The last thing any of them needed was Hook causing another scene - or worse, managing to gain control of the dagger again, and using it on another defenceless person. So, with a satisfied smirk, Regina waved her hand, watching as the Jolly Roger's anchor was retrieved, and the ropes keeping the boat docked loosened. Another wave, and she watched as the ship sailed peacefully out of harbour.

* * *

"I can't believe you'd actually do this."

Regina didn't look up from where she stood by her desk, hands outstretched over a metal box, a purple hue surrounding it. "We've been over this, Robin."

He nodded. "I guess I just didn't want to believe you'd row away your chance at happiness for a woman who doesn't even want your help."

Her eyes rose to glare at him. "I don't recall asking for your input in this."

"Why are you so determined to save her, Regina?"

"Because," she whispered, eyes flitting back to the box with Emma's dagger inside. "she would have done the same for me."

"You wouldn't have needed-"

"Oh, but I would have. I did need it once, and had no one. But Emma... She believed in me when no one else would, not even Henry. The least I can do is return the favour."

Robin was silent for some time, before finally sighing. "I don't think that's it, and I think you know it's not."Regina opened her mouth, brow furrowed, but he shook his head. "Don't bother denying it, Regina, I see how you two look at each other."

"What?"

He didn't hear her surprised whisper. "I'm taking Roland, we'll be out of your hair."

She stared at the door he shut on his way out, confusion evident in her face, as she heard him call for Roland to pack his belongings.

How we look at each other?

She eyed the metal box on her desk warily. She didn't want to use the dagger to summon Emma, like a dog, but if the woman didn't show up by the morning, she'd have to. She didn't want Emma to wallow in her kills alone; she had to assess how much damaged Hook's careless revenges had wrought on the other woman, had to know if she would have to...

She shook her head. It wouldn't come to that. It couldn't.


	3. I've Been Waiting for Someone Like You

It was almost midnight by the time she came. Although if she were honest, Regina was slightly surprised that she had come at all, never mind the same night. She had been sleeping when she felt the pressure in the room change, felt the distinctive tingle of magic, and the awareness she always seemed to have when Emma was in the same room as her.

As she lay in bed, unsure what to do, unsure if she was ready - or ever would be ready - to look into unfeeling, deadened eyes.

So she had to stop a gasp when she felt the mattress dip behind her. Emma shifted on to her bed, inching closer to Regina's frozen form. Still, neither woman spoke as the blonde seemed to settle in behind her, and after a few minutes, the Mayor felt some of the tension leave her shoulders, relaxing a little.

She knew there was no way she'd be able to go back to sleep; the Evil Queen she may be, but even at the height of her rule and ruthlessness, she'd known better than to drop her guard in front of the Dark One. Just because the person containing that darkness had changed, didn't mean she would suddenly relax fully.

"Can I ask you something?"

Emma's voice floated over to her in the dark, and Regina tensed up again. She wasn't sure if she felt better knowing there was an actual reason for Emma's bedtime visit, or if she would have preferred to sleep beside the blonde. Somehow, that idea held a great amount of appeal, even though she had never truly considered it before.

 _I see how you two look at each other_. But, no, Robin was blinded by anger, it couldn't be...

She shook herself silently, commanding her sleepy mind to focus on the dangerous woman lying behind her on her bed.

"If you must, dear. I'd rather sleep, though, if I'm to clean up another massacre of yours in the morning."

Emma was silent for a few seconds, and Regina felt her heart grow with hope that perhaps there was still enough of Emma left in there to make her feel guilty for killing Gold and Belle. But, when the blonde finally spoke again, her voice held no trace of regret, and Regina felt her stomach constrict.

"Where's Robin?"

Emma's _non sequitur_ question pulled Regina out of her grim thoughts, making her frown in confusion. Blinking, Regina finally turned to look at the other woman. The blonde was fully stretched out on the bed next to her, head propped up in a hand as she regarded the brunette with curious eyes, her mouth turned down slightly into a frown.

Regina's movements closed the gap between them, so that even in the dark, she could see the green eyes clearly, and had to bite back a sigh of relief at seeing emotion in them. Any emotion was better than the deadened stare of someone who had already gone too far down the path of no return.

"What?" Regina asked, nose scrunching up in confusion. She'd just taken on darkness for Regina, had been controlled by the dagger and had her first cold-blooded kill, and she wanted to talk about _Robin Hood_? Regina couldn't contain her amusement; Emma always had been unpredictable and confusing to her. It was nice to know that, no matter how dire the situation might get, some things never changed.

"Robin. Why isn't he here?"

She blinked at the blonde again, confused. "Why would he be?"

Emma shrugged. "He's your true love, your happy ending. I figured you'd be... enjoying finally being together, now that Marian is really gone."

Regina processed this for a second, before turning her eyes on Emma again, one eyebrow raised. "And you just looked into my room, even though you thought...?"

The blonde had the grace to look embarrassed. "I stopped by Roland's room first, but he wasn't there, even though Henry is in his room."

It occurred to her that Robin might have been right about Roland not being safe, though she didn't really believe the Emma, no matter how dark, would ever hurt a child.

Emma must have read Regina's face, however, as she sighed. "You know I'd never hurt him, Regina. Not willingly," she amended, looking thoughtful, and Regina knew she was thinking about the dagger. The brunette was even happier now that she had retrieved it from the drunk pirate before he could hurt anyone else. If she was lucky, his ship was well on its way towards the middle of the ocean, carried away by currents. Even if he did make it back, it might be days before she had to look at his odious face.

"Then why..."

The blonde sighed again, a rueful smile playing across her lips. "That room used be the guest room before..." She trailed off, looking at Regina uncertainly, as if unsure whether mentioning the months Robin had been in New York would be too upsetting for the brunette. Regina had to stop herself from letting her surprise at the fact that, even like this, filled with darkness and hatred, Emma was still so worried about someone else's happiness. Emma shrugged self consciously. "I used to sleep there, you know..."

Regina did know. During those months with Robin gone, after Emma had cornered her in her vault and informed Regina, in no uncertain terms, that she would fight for them to be friends, they had indeed started spending more time together. At first, it had been shots at Granny's - _drinking buddies_ , Emma had called it, a playful glint in her eyes and she smiled widely at Regina - and then it had become shared lunches poring over the book, looking for the author, Emma bringing her salad and root beer, as she sat and ate her grilled cheese, never allowing Regina to wallow too much in the sadness and defeat that threatened to overcome her. Eventually, their drinking had moved from Granny's to Regina's house, and the mayor had forbidden the sheriff from driving after having drunk too much (and, as Emma put it, it was best if she didn't try poofing herself, as surely if you shouldn't drink and drive, the same reasoning applied to poofing. Regina had thought that had sounded like a cop-out, and had teased the blonde that it was just because she wasn't sure she'd be able to pull it off at all. Instead of rising to the bait as Regina had expected, Emma had just smiled, shrugged and asked where the guest bedroom was. Henry had been thrilled upon waking up and finding his birth mother at the breakfast table, scarfing down Regina's scrambled eggs and bacon; he'd given the sheriff a knowing look when Regina had turned back around to the stove, which Emma had studiously ignored). In those months, the guest bedroom had become Emma's room in the mansion, even though she only slept there on weekends ( _"I can't drink with you on week nights, Gina, even David has limits to how many shifts he's happy to take over for me, you know. Besides, think of the example we'd be setting for Henry."_ ). Regina had even found a toothbrush in the ensuite bathroom when she'd gone up to change the bedding for Roland (the bed always been made with the green sheets that reminded Regina of Emma's eyes, but of course she had changed them to some of Henry's old sheets, with cars on them, for Roland. She had kept the toothbrush, though, for some reason, and it still sat in her bathroom, untouched).

Regina was silent for a few seconds. "You haven't been in there for months."

She saw Emma's shadow beside her nod. "I know, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to freak the kid out. It's just, after everything... With Hook... It was all confusing, and I just. I guess I wasn't thinking, and that was always somewhere I could come to escape my problems, you know? Get away from Neal's crying, and Mary Margaret complaining about how he can't make it through a night... I wasn't thinking, I just had to get away, and ended up there. Sorry. Guess it's a good thing he wasn't in there," she chuckled dryly.

Regina was silent, and Emma shifted again, looking at the profile of the woman beside her. Regina was stretched out on her back, staring up at the ceiling, refusing to meet Emma's eyes even in the dark.

"Regina...?"

The brunette sighed. "You never could leave well enough alone, could you, Miss Swan?" She snapped, irritated. Somehow, between the reminiscing and Emma's rambling, she had let herself forget who - what - had crawled into bed, and as she turned again to look at the blonde woman who had been antagonising her for years, there was nothing in the blonde's expression that suggested that a ruthless killer lurked beneath the surface.

Instead, she just stared at Regina patiently, head supported in her hand, eyes inquisitive.

Disgusted at her inability to resist what she called Emma's puppy face, she groaned, turning to look back up at the ceiling. "He moved out."

From the corner of her eye, she made out Emma straighten slowly, until she was sitting up, looking at Regina from her seated position on the bed.

"Moved out?"

The brunette nodded, eyes glued to Emma, gauging if she should be worried. There was no way of knowing what would trigger Emma's bloodlust now, and the blonde's stillness was unnatural.

She could see the other woman take a deep breath, and felt better at knowing that Emma was at least trying to control her violent impulses. "What happened? I thought you guys would be doing the whole sunset thing by now."

Regina snorted softly, shaking her head. "I think we both know that's not possible right now."

"What do you mean?" Was that a hint of hurt in Emma's voice?

Regina sighed, sitting up as well. Emma didn't move back, so they were pressed closely together again.

"How could I be happy when you're..."

The blonde's eyes turned razor sharp, and Regina stopped herself, not even knowing how that sentence had been going to end. She shook her head. "I just meant that I could never be happy off your suffering, Emma."

"My suffering?"

"Maybe you're not suffering right now, but Emma, you forget, the darkness targeted me first. I know what it felt like."

Emma stared at her for a few seconds, before finally scooting backwards, putting some distance between them. "I meant what I said, Regina. You deserve to be happy."

"And it's admirable that you do, but do you really think I'd ever be truly happy while Henry's other mother is... Not happy?"

"What makes you think I'm unhappy?"

Regina sighed. "You forget, Emma, that I know you. You're not the only who can tell when you're being lied to. With you, I always know," she whispered, echoing the words Emma had given her once. The town had turned against her again, as they were wont to do, and yet Emma had been there, with her smiles, assurances and ingenious ideas to smoke out Zelena.

Her words brought a faint smile to Emma's lips, but it faded quickly, as she shook her head. "You can't worry about me, Regina. Let my parents worry about that - I have a feeling they're feeling the need to do something good again after all that mess with Lily, anyway. You just focus on your happy ending with Robin."

"And tell Henry I just couldn't care less about his other mother? And give up on you after everything you've done for me? I think not, Ms Swan. Besides, you're forgetting that my happy ending isn't a man; it's having a place in this world with my family. And, like it or not, you're a part of that world and family."

Emma regarded her, a smile again playing on her lips. "Who thought the day would come when Regina Mills, ex-Evil Queen, would be trying to save the Saviour, the child of Snow White and Prince Charming?"

"Oh do be quiet, Ms Swan," the brunette snapped, flopping back on to the bed to hide the smile gracing her own features.

Emma lay down beside her again. "What happened with Robin?"

Regina sighed. "You're not going to let it go, are you?"

"Nope," the blonde pronounce proudly. "And you know how stubborn I can be..."

Regina grumbled under her breath about stubbornness and genes, and Emma grinned again. It was funny how, lying there beside Regina in the dark, it was easy to forget and push aside the little voice inside her, clamouring for blood. How, laughing with Regina in the dark made it all seem less desperate, made the pain of resisting the darkness fade, and the sharp knife of her guilt over Gold and Belle - especially Belle, because even Saviour Emma Swan knew that Gold may have been defenceless when the Dark One came for him, but guilt-free and innocent, the man was not; and yet, what that did that make her? Wasn't she now following in his footsteps of death and destruction? And did it count if it hadn't been her choice? (even if - and she would never admit this to anyone, though she knew, she knew that Regina knew, had seen it in the brunette's eyes when she looked at her - she had enjoyed it?). It made her wish she never had to leave. And yet she knew that she would have to, because she didn't belong here, Robin did, and even if it hurt her, even if it meant losing that last remaining piece of her that still remained, she was determined to make sure that Regina had her happy ending.

She may have lost hers (though not, as Mary Margaret had assumed, with Hook, because even though he was generally a great guy and made her laugh, she knew; had know for a while now, that her happiness lay elsewhere. It was why she hadn't been able to answer him when he'd declared she was his happy ending, because really, what could she say? How could she hurt him like that? When there really was no reason to hurt him at all? After all, he might not be her happy ending, but one didn't negate the other, not while she still had her family with Henry and Regina and her parents, and a room in Regina's mansion to call her own; but then everything had changed, and the room wasn't hers anymore, because robin was back, at it had become harder - harder not to scowl when she was the man, harder not to mull over her happy ending and her family, and over the pirate that pined in unrequited love for her), but she'd be damned if she'd let Regina lose hers, too. Especially over her.

Beside her, Regina chuckled. "We had an argument. He couldn't abide by my decision, so I told him he was free to go."

Emma felt her body relax. "Oh. So he'll be back then."

She hadn't realised she said it aloud, until Regina shook her head. "No, I don't think he will."

Emma frowned. "It was just an argument, Regina. Couples argue all the time. You'd be surprised how often it happens between my parents."

"As thrilling as that is to hear, dear," Regina returned, grinning at Emma, who simply smirked back, knowing that there was no bite in Regina's jab. "I don't think this is just a couple's squabble that can be easily rectified. At least, not in the near future..."

The brunette trailed off, unwilling to admit that the only reason she wished the argument could be settled soon was that it would mean Emma was no longer the Dark One. It surprised her to find herself thinking that, and she frowned. _How_ _you_ _two_ _look_ _at_ _each_ _other_...

Emma looked confused. "What on earth did you say to the man, Regina?"

She chuckled at the slightly resigned, slightly playful tone Emma's voice took on. It just proved that the blonde knew her well enough to know that she was likely to snap back into her Evil Queen patterns of speaking when upset. She remembered a trek through a cursed forest, and Emma's understanding eyes, her soft _what the hell did you do to her_ not really accusing, but understanding and accepting of her past.

"We... Disagreed over where to stow your dagger," she finally admitted.

"My... You have... What?"

"Eloquent as always, I see, dear."

Emma made a face at her. "I thought Hook had it."

"He did. Although how he thought he'd manage to keep it is honestly beyond me. I thought I'd save him from your mother going to get it from him, though." _Or you_ , she silently added, and knew that Emma understood her unspoken meaning when the blonde shot her a knowing look.

"I wouldn't have done it, you know."

"Done what?" Regina asked innocently.

Emma shook her head, smiling. "I'm still here, Regina."

"I know that. Now."

"Wait, you argued over where to keep it?"

"He had a problem over having it under the same roof as his son. Of course I told him he was being ridiculous," she added as Emma's face shifted, becoming inscrutable. "If I'd truly thought you'd hurt any of us in this house, I'd never keep it so close to Henry."

Still, Emma regarded her silently, eyes roving over her face silently, and was Regina imagining it, or did her gaze linger on her lips?

"It doesn't bother you, that I have it, does it?" She finally asked nervously, when the silence between stretched for so long, Emma's eyes still glued to her face.

"Why would it?" Emma mumbled, almost absently.

Regina shrugged. "I'm not sure I'd trust myself with it, if I were in your shoes. I don't exactly have the best record in resisting power."

Emma smiled then, meeting Regina's unsure eyes with ones filled with an emotion Regina didn't want to ponder over too much.

"Of course I trust you with it, Gina. I'd trust you with my life." She cocked her head to the side, still smiling. "Which I guess is what that is anyway, huh."

"You always did have a bad track record in trusting people."

Emma groaned. "I knew Mary Margaret had told you about Cora."

Regina smiled at her. "Actually, I meant me. But yes, now that you mention it..."

"Of course I trust you, Regina, we're so beyond that, and have been for years."

"Yes, your little friendship speech made that very clear. And every inebriated night you spent in my presence thereafter. Do you realise how easy it would have been for me to poison you?"

The blonde shrugged. "You'd never do it."

Regina arched an eyebrow at her, disbelieving.

"Well, sure, you tried that one time, but I think we both learned our lessons that time."

"Indeed."

"Besides, you like me too much."

Regina snorted, but didn't answer. _How you two look at each other_.

Smothering a yawn in her hand, Emma settled into the mattress further. "We'll get him back, Regina," she promised. "You could always move the dagger to your vault, you know."

Regina was silent for a long moment, before sighing and turning to look at the blonde. Emma's breath had already deepened in sleep, and Regina smiled fondly, admiring how fast the other woman was able to fall asleep. Looking at her bedside clock, she saw it was nearly 5am; she'd have to be up soon, had to give a speech to the town, informing everyone of the their new predicament.

She gazed at the slumbering blonde again, noting how peaceful and Emma-like she looked. She had half expected her to be golden and scaly, like Rumple had been back in the Enchanted Forest, but of course, that wouldn't be the case; neither he nor Zelena had had different skin in this world, even after magic had returned.

It meant that, watching Emma sleep, she could almost pretend to herself that this was just another night where they'd both had too much to drink and had fallen asleep. That she could pretend Emma had never sacrificed everything for her, that the nights of shots, of talking about Henry - his childhood or the year in New York, both of them starving for any knowledge of time lost with their son they could get - or anything that came to mind (a particular favourite conversation of Regina's had been when Emma had tried to get her to watch _Orange is the New Black_ , and had proceeded to talk throughout the entire episode, then was horrified when Regina had said she hadn't found it interesting - and how could she, when there was Emma, sitting right next to her, looking earnest and cute ( _cute_?!) with her puppy dog eyes, and her excitement over the plot. Regina had gone back to it later on, alone on a night after Robin had returned, and she had once again found herself craving the company of the woman whom she had grown to close to, and actually found that she rather enjoyed the show. She'd never had the chance to tell the blonde, though, and now it just seemed trivial and unimportant).

Smiling softly at the memory, she settled back into her bed. Maybe she could let her guard down, after all. This might be the Dark One, but it was also still Emma.

 _How you two look at each other_.

The last thought Regina had before falling asleep, eyes still trained on the blonde, was that maybe Robin wasn't as blindly stupid as he seemed.


	4. The One I Love

When Regina woke up, the bed was empty. She could hear the shower running in her bathroom, and stumbled out of bed. She sighed as she remembered the weird dream she had had, about Emma becoming the Dark One for her. Clearly, the little trip into an alternate reality had addled her brain. Still, as terrifying as the idea of Emma destroying herself for Regina was, the Emma of her dream was all soft words, kind smiles and hushed confessions. She half hoped she could have stayed in the dream a while longer, though she'd be loathe to admit that to anyone; it had been years since Emma Swan had invaded her dreams, and now certainly wasn't the time to let her start again.

She got up and stretched, wincing at the thought of having to go into the bathroom. She wasn't comfortable walking in on Robin in the shower, but she hated having morning breath, and besides, there was no way she'd leave her room without any makeup on.

Sighing, she shuffled towards the bathroom, musing over the fact that, even after almost 30 years living in this world, she still wasn't used to the more liberal morals of this world. It surprised her that Robin, who had only arrived her after she had, would feel comfortable doing this. Even though he and Roland had been living in her house, he always seemed slightly uncomfortable, hovering behind her, as if unsure what to do with himself. Sometimes she wondered at them. She felt like there was something missing there; surely the fact that her true love felt uncomfortable in her home should bother her more, but instead she pretended not to notice his awkward hovering. Unsure of what to do - or in fact, if she wanted to do anything about it.

She tried not to think about that last one.

As she opened the door to the bathroom, she shuffled towards the mirror, the warm mist coming from the shower helping wake her a little. Still, it was clearly not enough, as she studiously kept her eyes averted from the shower, and therefore missed the curiously amused green eyes following her sleepy movements.

Shrugging to herself, Emma rationalised that Regina had walked in on her shower; even if she had overstepped her boundaries in taking a shower in the brunette's bathroom in the first place, Regina could have waited until she was fully clothed to berate her for that faux pas. And anyway, it didn't seem like Regina was about to start yelling, if all the blinking and sleepy eyes were any indication, so the blonde went back to her shower, ignoring the mayor just as she was being ignored.

As she started to hum to herself, there was a crash from behind her, and Emma whirled around, but in her hurry to see if Regina was okay, she miscalculated her movements; her surprise at the noise had made her turn around too fast. She lost her footing on the wet shower floor, and fell with a wet thud against the clear glass of the shower box, groaning as her ribs smacked against the metal faucet.

When she stopped cursing under her breath, she remembered the crash that had caused her to fall in the first place, and raised her eyes to look outside of the shower box.

Regina stood there, half turned toward the shower and frozen in place, eyes glued on the blonde in shock, a bottle of her apple perfume shattered on the floor at her feet.

Emma's eyes tracked from the broken bottle to Regina's wide eyes, her own green eyes shifting from pain-filled from her encounter with the bathroom tiles and metal, to confused. "Regina? Are you okay?"

The brunette continued to stare at her in mute shock for a few more seconds - and, Emma noted with amusement, the brunette didn't seem to quite know what to do with her eyes, as they kept flickering over Emma's body behind the clear glass of the shower box - but she seemed to snap back to herself at Emma's voice, as she whirled around, leaving the bathroom in a hurry, and slamming the door behind her, a panicked look in her eyes.

Shrugging, the blonde stepped under the water, wincing as her fingers touched the patch on her ribs she'd just banged.

* * *

Regina leaned against the bathroom door heavily, closing her eyes as she took a deep breath.

Why was Emma Swan in her bathroom? Why was Emma Swan _naked_ in her bathroom?

 _Why aren't you in there naked with her?_

She shook the last question from her mind quickly, cursing under her breath. Opening her eyes, her gaze fell on her bed, bringing her dream back to her. Unless...

Pushing off the door, Regina magicked some makeup and a change of clothes on, before rushing out of the bedroom and down the stairs, all but sprinting into her office. Sure enough, there lay the box she had put the dagger in in her dream. With shaky hands, she pried the lid open, already knowing what she'd find. Picking up the dagger, she sank into her chair, exhaling deeply. Much as she had yearned for this to be real when she woke up, she had been focusing on the midnight chat she'd had with Emma. But now that she was faced with the reality of the situation, she wished she could go back to when it would have been Robin in her shower, rather than a ridiculously attractive ex-Saviour.

Because this, this meant that Emma had sacrificed everything for her, that Regina had once again ruined the other woman's life, even if this time it hadn't been her plan to do so. This meant dealing with the fallout from the town over the news. This meant telling Henry that his birth mother was the new Dark One.

She groaned at that, her head sinking to rest on her desk. It was a miracle she'd managed to avoid that conversation this long, since Henry had headed home when she and Robin had left the diner the night before, and he'd been fast asleep by the time she'd come back after sending Hook on his merry way, and in possession of the dagger. So much had happened in the span of a few hours. She now had to tell her son that his other mother had killed his grandparents, and had turned into the ultimate villain.

She snorted. _Ultimate villain_ didn't fit the image she had of Emma (and again, she consciously fought to keep the image of a wet, naked Emma from jumping to her mind... and failed miserably). She hadn't seemed that consumed by darkness last night, and it gave Regina hope that perhaps she wasn't completely lost to the darkness.

And even though she knew that her main concern should be Emma, and getting her back to normal, when she heard footsteps on the stairs, she froze, another thought taking over her mind completely: how on earth would she explain the fact that Emma had spent the night in her bed with her - they had just talked, Regina reminded herself forcefully, banishing yet again the image of Emma in her shower - and had taken a shower in her bathroom? Henry might be young, but at thirteen, he'd jump to conclusions, especially since Robin had left.

 _Oh god he doesn't know Robin's left. Oh my god, he's going to think..._

Panicked, she ran out of her office, not even noticing she was still gripping the dagger tightly in one hand. As she rounded the corner into the kitchen, she came to a screeching halt upon seeing Emma getting herself a cup of coffee, and generally making herself at home.

Regina tried not to think about how Robin had never felt comfortable enough to do that. Tried, and failed, as she watched the blonde turn at the sound of her approaching, and smile widely in a way that made Regina almost forget she was the new Dark One.

"Hey. Want some coffee?"

Mutely, Regina nodded, walking into the kitchen and slumping heavily on to a stool.

Emma eyed her, before rummaging through the cupboards, in search of mugs.

"Top one on your right," Regina mumbled, still dazed.

Emma nodded her thanks, grabbing two mugs, before turning to the brunette again. "You know, you don't have to carry that thing around, and I'm pretty sure you shouldn't be running with it. You know what they say about running and knives."

Her tone was light, but her eyes were wary as she watched Regina frown at her, and look down at the hand Emma had indicated. The hand that still clutched the Dark One's dagger. Regina felt all the blood leave her face in a second, as she looked up at Emma again.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't..." She shook her head, poofing the dagger back into its blood magic-sealed box in her office. "I wasn't going to use it."

"I know."

But the blonde was avoiding her eyes now, and Regina sighed. The last thing she wanted was to make Emma not trust her.

"Emma," she said softly. "I wasn't going to use it. I was just wondering what to do next when I heard you coming downstairs. I thought it was Henry."

"Good thing it wasn't, you would have freaked the kid out, running in here like that, waving that dagger around."

Regina grimaced. "I wasn't thinking about that."

Emma gave her a knowing look. "You were worried about what to tell him. About me."

"Yes," she admitted. "But not because of..." she gestured vaguely towards them door that led to her office.

Emma raised her eyebrows, amused by this flustered side of Regina she was discovering. "Why then?"

The brunette's eyes flickered to her face, before darting towards the stairs again, before she started fiddling with the handle of her mug nervously, and Emma grinned.

"You're blushing!" That earned her a glare that only made her grin widen. Then Emma cocked her head to the side, watching Regina carefully. "Oh my god, were you worrying about him knowing I spent the night with you?"

"Shh," Regina hissed, looking at the stairs again, panicked. "Not so loud, Ms Swan!"

Emma laughed. "Regina, it's fine. Besides, we didn't do anything, I don't know why you're so worried."

Regina glared at her again. "You forget, Ms Swan, just how hopeful Henry was that you and Neal would get back together. I know he's older now, but the last thing I want to do is give him the idea that you and I might..."

Emma was still grinning at her, though, and Regina considered that despite what she had seen in Gold's shop the night before, the blonde really hadn't changed much; she was still infuriating and ridiculous.

"Don't worry, I'm sure he's well aware that you hate me, Regina," the blonde said, winking at her, to show that she didn't actually believe that. "Besides, he still thinks you and Robin are together."

Something flickered across Emma's face as she said Robin's face, and Regina was reminded, quite suddenly, that even though she may talk and act like the Emma she had known for years, this version of her was much more dangerous than the woman she had gotten to know. So she kept quiet, and sipped her coffee, trying to pretend she wasn't studying Emma out of the corner of her eyes.

As the blonde finished her coffee, she jumped up. "And look, now you won't even have to explain anything to him," she said brightly, heading towards the kitchen door.

"Where are you going?"

"Well, I can't stay here all day, can I? I might be the new Dark One, but I do still have a job." She paused by the front door, turning to look at Regina. "I do still have a job, right?"

Regina nodded hesitantly, not sure that having the Dark One as the sheriff was the best idea, but equally unsure if having Emma sitting around all day was a good idea. At least if she was at work, maybe it would keep her newly dark mind from wandering over ways to terrorise people. Though she didn't seem that keen on any death and destruction. And David would be at the station, so at least there would be someone to watch over her, in case things started getting ugly.

Emma smiled brightly at her, walking out the door and calling back to her over her shoulder. "Let me know if you want me to pick up the kid from school."

Dumbfounded, Regina stood in the foyer, watching as the blonde walked down the path to the sidewalk, paused at the road, shrugged when she realised her car wasn't there, and poofed herself away.

She shook her head, closing the door and turning back to the kitchen, thinking that maybe having Emma as the Dark One wouldn't be so bad after all.

 _Especially if she keeps taking showers in my bathroom._

She cursed at herself for the thought, and stomped into the kitchen to fix Henry his breakfast.

When Henry came downstairs, he found his mother glaring angrily at the bacon she was cooking him, as if it was responsible for all bad things in the world.

* * *

Henry had taken the news surprisingly well. His truest believer heart never failed to provide him with a seemingly endless supply of faith in his mothers, for which Regina was eternally grateful, as it meant their son could take even the news that his birth mother was the new Dark One in stride, and not be too worried. He had, of course, been surprised by the news of Gold's death, and the glint in his eyes when she told him vaguely that Hook wouldn't be around, at least for a while, worried her that maybe having both mothers go down a dark path might rub off on him in unwanted ways. But her worries were put to rest when the next question he had, had been if she was sure the dagger was safe, and would Emma be okay when she got back to normal and realised what she had done. Regina had reassured the boy that, together, they'd help Emma through that when they got to it, to which Henry had just nodded, thoughtful.

"Why isn't Robin here?"

Really, Regina thought, it was ridiculous that she almost dreaded this conversation more than the one she had just had with her son.

"He's moved out, honey."

Henry frowned at her. "Why?"

Sighing, she sat beside him at the kitchen bar. "He and I disagreed about where to keep Emma's dagger. He didn't agree that she'd never hurt you or Roland, and refused to stay here as long as the dagger was in the house."

Henry pondered this for a second, before turning to look at his adoptive mother, something akin to awe on his face. "You chose Ma over Robin?"

His question reminded Regina too much of Rumple's mocking _you're choosing the saviour over your beloved Robin Hood_ weeks ago, and she shifted in her seat, uncomfortable. "Henry, it's not..."

"Yes it is, Mom! He's your true love, and she sacrificed herself to give you a chance to have happiness." His eyes turned scared as he looked at her. "Does she know? Does Ma know that Robin moved out?"

She hesitated briefly, before nodding reluctantly. "She stopped by last night, I think she wanted to see you."

He looked at her knowingly, before sighing in a way that sounded so much like Emma, Regina had to bite her cheek to keep from smiling. "She's not going to anything, is she?"

Regina regarded her son, before looking away. "I don't think so, Henry. She seemed fine, almost normal, even."

He didn't say anything as he finished his breakfast, but she knew he heard the uncertainty in her tone.

* * *

When the call came, it was almost midday. Regina had placed her cell right beside her office phone in the city hall, just in case, she told herself. But, as every hour had gone by, some of the tension seemed to seep out of her, as she grew more and more convinced that maybe they would be fine. Maybe she wouldn't have to stand up at the town meeting this afternoon and tell everyone that the Saviour wasn't to be trusted.

Her cellphone rang, and her body tensed when she saw David's name flash on the screen.

"Regina, you better get down here quick," he said as soon as she picked up, not even bothering with a greeting.

She opened her mouth to ask what was wrong, but she heard a voice in the background, and David said something sharply, before the line went dead.

With dread cold in her stomach, Regina poofed herself over to the police station, not sure what to expect when she got there.

Whatever it had been, she hadn't expected to find David handcuffed to his desk, Emma standing in the door to her office, her face contorted into a mask of fury that all but erased the woman Regina had grown to care for over the years, turning her into someone else; someone dangerous, who was pointing a gun at...

At first, Regina thought the gun had been for David, but that wasn't right, David was to the side, and there was no panic in his eyes, just desperation as he stared at his daughter, and pleaded with her not to do it. Regina followed the direction the gun was pointed in, and stopped short when she saw Robin Hood kneeling on the floor a few paces away from where Emma stood.

"What the hell is going on here?" She demanded, once she had taken the scene in.

She directed her question at Emma, while she waved her hand and David's handcuffs clattered to the floor. He shot her a thankful look, but wisely remained where he was.

Emma turned to look at her, the gun never lowering. Slowly, she turned back to face Robin, and snarled at him.

"You see? Even now, after everything you've done, she still comes to rescue you. She loves you, and what did you do to her in return? Abandoned her time and again, didn't believe in her, got her sister pregnant," she spat at the man in the floor, her face still twisted into a mask of pure fury. "Tell me why you don't deserve to die for hurting her over and over again?"

The man shook his head, pleadingly. "I never meant to - I didn't know!"

"Didn't know? DIDN'T KNOW?" Emma roared, and both David and Robin flinched back.

Regina just stared at Emma in shock, unsure what she should address first - her gun-wielding, or the accusations she was flinging at Robin.

"How could you not know? Or did you just not care enough to want to know? What did you think would happen when you left to New York? But of course you didn't know, you never actually stuck around long enough to even get to know her well enough to know how that kind of shit would affect her. I bet you didn't even know why she cast the curse, do you?"

When Robin just stared at the blonde, confused, Regina sighed.

"Emma, put the gun down," she coaxed, and for a second, she wasn't standing in the Storybrooke police department, but at the side of a road, and it wasn't Robin on his knees, with a gun held by Emma pointed at him; it was Lily, and she was defiant. Regina wanted to cry for that Emma, the Emma that had been lost when she gave up her soul to save Regina. The Emma that hadn't committed cold-blooded murder yet, and still listened to her when she told her to stop.

She only hoped that was another thing that hadn't changed.

Emma shook her head. "He hurt you, Regina, he deserves this."

"Emma, this isn't you," she whispered.

Emma's laugh was cold. "Oh, but it is, Regina. It really is."

Regina took a deep breath, stepping towards Emma slowly, again feeling the deja vu overwhelm her. "We've been here before, Emma. Remember?"

Green eyes flickered briefly, scanning her face, before looking at Robin again. "Things are different now. This is different, he" she waved the gun towards Robin, who barely seemed to be breathing, eyes flickering between the two women anxiously. "is different. He hurt you."

Regina closed her eyes, taking a deep breath before opening them, all her focus on Emma; everyone else in the room might as well not have been there. "Yes, he did," she admitted. "He was supposed to be my happy ending, and when that didn't work out…" she sighed, running a hand through her hair. Emma's eyes were glued on her now, but the gun was steady in her hand. "I thought that was it for me, which was why I was so desperate to find the author; I thought it was the only way to be happy. But, in the end, I was so consumed by wanting to be happy, I somehow managed to miss the fact that I already _was_ happy."

"What?" Emma asked, her cold mask slipping momentarily, as her brow furrowed in confusion.

Regina smiled lightly. "You know, when he left last night, he told me something, and I never…" she shook her head, still smiling faintly, and took another step towards Emma. "He said he thought that the dagger wasn't the only reason why I was kicking him out; that it also had something to do with the way we looked at each other."

Emma's face went pale. "The way… I don't…"

Regina cocked her head to the side, regarding the blonde closely. "I think you do, Emma. And I never realised it until he pointed it out to me. I don't need pixie dust or fate or destiny to tell me where to find my happiness. And, maybe, once, years ago, he really could have been my happy ending. But we've both changed since then — and I'm not the same person I was. It was foolish to assume that just because he might have been right for me then, he still would be, I know that now. Who we've become, over the years, it never would have worked." She smiled softly at Emma's surprised expression. "He'd never truly understand me, not like you do. Remember, you told me yourself; we're unique in our likeness."

Emma nodded. "But he still hurt you."

Regina smiled again. "Yes, he did. You know how much it hurts to not be enough for someone, but in the end, I guess it was for the best."

Emma turned away from her, looking at Robin again. For a few seconds, nobody spoke. The Emma cocked her head, and flipped the safety off the gun. Robin's eyes widened, and he looked at Regina, desperate.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw movement from where David stood, and raised her hand, motioning for him to stop. The last thing she needed was Emma getting trigger-happy and accidentally hitting her father. She might think Emma understood her, but there were some things she'd experience, she'd sleep better knowing that the blonde never had to feel first-hand, and killing her own father was one of them.

Thankfully, David listened to her, and stopped moving. Regina, on the other hand, moved too fast for Emma to process; by the time the blonde started turning towards the brunette again, to see what she was doing, Regina had poofed herself directly in front of the gun. Emma paused, eyes widening, and started to lower the weapon.

"Regina, what-?"

"You're better than this," she told the blonde, and this time, she was trying to convince herself as much as she was Emma.

Emma shook her head. "He can't get away with it, Regina!"

"Why not?"

Emma looked stumped, opening and closing her mouth, unsure what to say. Acting on instinct, Regina stepped forward, into Emma's personal space, and forcing the hand that was holding the gun to move down, away from any bystanders. And, without giving either of them any time to think, without pausing to consider the fact that both Robin and David were watching them curiously, Regina pulled Emma to her, into a kiss.

She wasn't sure what she'd wanted to accomplish. Just getting Emma to lower the gun had been a good start, but as they kissed, Regina forgot about the gun and about their audience, revelling in the taste of Emma Swan. For her part, Emma's shock lasted for a bout a second, before she dropped the gun to the ground — making both David and Robin flinch, as the safety was still off, but luckily it didn't go off — and wrapped her arms around the brunette, deepening the kiss.

Regina didn't know how long they stood like that, gently exploring each other's mouths, but it took both men gasping, and David's whispered "no" for her to get her bearings again. She rested her forehead against Emma's, and then frowned as she felt the skin of the blonde's forehead _shift_.

She took a step back to look at the other woman, and gaped as the skin on Emma's whole body seemed to ripple, changing rapidly between the golden scaly texture Rumple's skin had been in the Enchanted Forest, to almost shining with a white glow and then back to normal, in quick succession.

From his desk, David stared at the women, eyes wide.

"What the hell just happened?" Emma demanded. "Am I an X-Men now or something?"

And oh, even her voice had changed, Regina noticed, mouth hanging open in shock, disbelief colouring her features. It was back to the levity of before, the joking and funny Emma who brought her kale salads for lunch, and promised her the world.

"Dad? What just happened?" Emma asked, turning to David, when no one else volunteered any information.

To Regina's further surprise, a smile started forming on Charming's lips as he looked from his daughter to Regina. "True Love's Kiss."

* * *

 **AN: Any grammatical errors are mine, as this never had a beta; any weird-ass formatting/wording I blame entirely on my iPad, as it seems to take pleasure in doing the most bizarre things, and most of this fic was written on it. If you spot anything funky, let me know and I'll fix it :)**

 **After this, Robin runs off into the woods and stops annoying people. Think what you will of Hook, I like to fantasise about him coming back, and the look on his face when he walks into Granny's and sees Emma sucking face with Regina. Just me? ;)**


End file.
